This inquiry, which explores the current debate on what should be done with Confederate monuments, engages students in historical, geographic and civic skills.

In this evidence-based webinar, answer the questions "How and why were the “Black” and “White” “races” developed? and "How and why was anti-Black Racism developed? Using primary sources, visual diagrams, and historian quotes, trace the historical evolution of the social construction of race--through laws--during the Colonial era. Review historical evidence suggesting that racism did not lead to slavery; rather, slavery lead to racism. Discuss the narrative of racism as the myth of Black racial inferiority that white elites/slave owners created (“the story we tell”) to both uphold slavery,…

One way to facilitate productive classroom discussions about racism and unequal power structures is to engage students in developing the discussion guidelines. This demonstrates respect for students’ needs and a willingness to share power.  

To acknowledge societal issues and problem-solve solutions that promote the common good, we cannot conceptualize current issues as “single factual narratives” or universalize our personal perspectives as the “one and absolute truth.” We should not debate whether systemic racism exists, but provide opportunities for students, precluding racist commentary, to analyze the data evidence and establish this conclusion on their own. Welcoming both conservative and liberal opinions into classroom discussion by using open race-related policy questions, like affirmative action, fosters an environment…

The following articles have been selected from our three main journals for K-12 teachers: Social Education, Middle Level Learning, and Social Studies and the Young Learner. These articles are grouped by topic for easy reference. Also included are recent current event responses that address racism and call for human rights education. NCSS Current Events Responses (2020)Teaching about Race and Racism in the ClassroomThe African American Struggle for Civil RightsSlavery and Its LegacyRacism and Discrimination against Black, Indigenous, and People of ColorHuman Rights EducationMiddle Level…

It’s time to reject historical uniformity and historical integration. Black history has its own historical entry points, historical timelines, and historical perspectives.  

This 2020 issue of Social Education, marking the centennial anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, seeks to broaden understanding of the suffrage story in several ways: by considering the strategies and tactics used by the suffragists to foment their agitation; by acknowledging the ways in which further work was needed to secure voting and other rights for all women; by acknowledging the need for women in positions of political leadership and for stories about their accomplishments; and by placing the U.S. women’s suffrage story within the context of the larger struggle for women’s rights…

By confronting our inaccurate beliefs about youth apathy, we can engage and expand youth voter participation.

Studying the nineteenth-century educator and civil rights leader Octavius Catto can help students move beyond the simplistic U.S. narrative of racial progress to a more complex understanding of race and resistance in America.